Usage Note
Sclerare is Roman-origin slang derived humorously from sclerosi (sclerosis, hardening of the arteries) — meaning to lose one's temper spectacularly or go completely mad. It is very informal and generational, popular among young urban Italians. The noun una sclerata describes the resulting meltdown. Formal writing would use perdere la testa or andare fuori di sé.
Examples
"Smettila o sclero davvero!"
Natural Translation
Stop it or I'll really lose it!
Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
